Faculty member accepts prestigious award

February 22, 2010Writer: Writer: Lynsey Leiter

Brigham Young University-Idaho faculty member Leon Parson is the 2010 recipient of the Eliza R. Snow Award.

Each year, the Eliza R. Snow Society for the Performing Arts recognizes and honors an individual who has excelled in the performing and visual arts. The recipient must be an alumnus of BYU-Idaho and be supportive of the university and its programs.

"I am very honored to receive the award," said Parson. "A student came to one of my classes to shoot some footage of me teaching. He explained that it was for the Snow Society, but I didn't realize until later what it would be used for. I was very surprised when I found out. "

Parson has been an instructor of art at BYU-Idaho for 31 years. Some of his professional work includes: five portraits of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Twin Falls and Rexburg Idaho Temple murals, and original framed paintings for the Vancouver British Columbia Temple.

His on-campus works include portraits in the Gordon B. Hinckley Building, Ezra Taft Benson Building, and Eliza R. Snow Building. There is also a large print of the First Vision in the John Taylor Building.

Currently Parson is working on paintings for the Kona Hawaii and The Gila Valley Arizona Temples as well as a portrait of Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Parson has painted close to 100 magazine and book covers. He has also created over 50 paintings that have become limited-edition prints. Many of his works have been purchased for various private collections.

The award will be formally presented to Parson at the annual Eliza R. Snow Evening of Honors on March 31 in the Little Theater of the Hyrum Manwaring Student Center.